Chapter 77 A Eulogy for Loyal Souls Across the Land (Part 5) Jinjiang First…

The torches barely dispelled a corner of the darkness deep within the dungeon.

Chu Xi was bound to the rack by heavy black iron chains. The chains pierced through the unhealed wounds on his collarbone, and every slight movement brought out more dark red bloodstains, soaking through his tattered robes whose original color was no longer recognizable.

Hearing footsteps, he slowly raised his head.

The flickering firelight illuminated half of his face, and even in his disheveled state, his face, inheriting the striking features of his foreign father, still possessed a breathtaking handsomeness. The bloodstains, far from appearing filthy, added a touch of decadent and dangerous wickedness to his appearance. He smirked, looking at Chu Huaili, dressed in a bright yellow robe, his eyes showing no trace of the fear expected of a prisoner.

"Chu Xi, do you know your crime?" Chu Huaili's voice rang out in the empty cell, calm and undisturbed.

"Hmph!" Chu Xi scoffed, the chains rattling as he tilted his head back. "Sin? The victor is king, the loser is villain, my good nephew." He emphasized the last three words, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "If the Ye royal family had won that palace coup six years ago, you and I would probably be corpses in a mass grave right now, pathetic wretches being pointed at and cursed by the world as 'descendants of traitors'!"

He leaned forward, the movement causing him excruciating pain in his wounds and a momentary pallor, but his smile grew even more blatant: "Or, if it were you, Chu Huaili, who lost in that palace coup, do you think you'd be any better off than me today? You'd be nothing more than mud in this ditch, trampled on by everyone!"

Chu Huaili watched him display his arrogance silently, her face remaining expressionless, and asked only, "Do you know why you lost?"

"Why?" Chu Xi laughed as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, his laughter echoing between the stone walls. "Because of my face? Because of my blood from the Western Regions, which isn't 'pure' enough? If I were born with a dignified Central Plains face, if I could be regarded as 'legitimate' by those pedantic old ministers, and have the support of the people? Ha!" He spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. "Chu Huaili, you're just lucky to have been born into a good family!"

"It has nothing to do with appearance or bloodline." Chu Huaili slowly shook his head, his gaze as deep as an ancient well, without any ripples. "Nie Huaizhang, Li Su, Wang Chonghuan... those loyal ministers, you shouldn't have killed them. The more you go on a killing spree, the more you destroy your own foundation and cause people to turn against you. A ruler must know when to wield the sword and when to keep a lotus flower in his heart."

"Nie Huaizhang?" Chu Xi's eyes suddenly flashed with bone-chilling hatred, his handsome yet wicked face twisting slightly. "That dead man! His disguise was flawless, groveling and begging, fooling me into lowering my guard for a moment! He deserves to die the most! I only regret that in my moment of rage, I let him die too easily! I should have kept him alive, skinned him, removed his bones, and smashed his hard bones one by one, so he could taste what it means to wish for death but not be able to live!"

Chu Huaili's hands, clasped behind his back, tightened almost imperceptibly for a moment, his fingertips digging slightly into his palms within his sleeves, yet his expression remained calm. He clearly saw the almost tangible destructive urge in Chu Xi's eyes; it wasn't the resentment of a loser, but a madness rooted in his very bones.

Chu Xi keenly caught his momentary silence, and like a shark smelling blood, he became even more excited, the chains clanging as he struggled: "What? My good nephew, are you angry? Feeling sorry for that ungrateful little thing?"

He deliberately brought his blood-stained face close to the firelight, his eyes flashing with an almost manic light. "Don't you want to skin me alive right now? Come on! Draw your knife! Right here, aim it at my heart, give me a quick death! Kill me! Kill me now!"

The roar echoed in the cell, carrying a desperate provocation and a twisted expectation.

Looking at his frenzied state, Chu Huaili finally felt a flicker of pity, like watching a cornered beast struggle, but it vanished in an instant. He spoke, his voice still steady, yet carrying immense power: "Just as you said, killing you with a single blow would be the most swift." He leaned slightly closer, closing the distance between them, and spoke in a voice only they could hear, word by word, "I will spare your life. Every life you owe, every bit of suffering you have caused, I will make you pay back, slowly, little by little."

After saying that, he stopped looking at Chu Xi's face, which had instantly turned extremely ferocious, straightened up, and turned to walk out without hesitation.

"Chu Huaili—! You coward! Hypocrite! Come back! If you have the guts, kill me now! Kill me—!" Chu Xi's beast-like roar came from behind. The chains were pulled so violently by his strength that they almost broke. The sticky sounds of tearing wounds and dripping blood lingered in the dim dungeon for a long time.

Chu Huaili did not stop walking. As he walked out of the prison gate, he calmly instructed the pale-faced jailers standing on either side: "Keep a close eye on him. Don't let him die. I want him to live."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The jailer hurriedly bowed.

Stepping out of that gloomy, bloody prison, the bright sunlight outside was almost blinding.

The summer breeze, carrying warmth, brushed against my cheeks, yet it couldn't dispel the lingering smell of rust on my nose.

Eunuch Wen Kang, who was waiting in the distance, hurried forward and reported in a low voice: "Your Majesty, Consort Zhao of Luanyin Palace has sent someone to report that she has suddenly fallen ill and would like Your Majesty to come and take a look."

Chu Huaili paused slightly, a cold, knowing glint in his eyes: "I was just thinking of a pretext to 'visit' her, but she couldn't resist and offered herself a way out." He glanced at Wen Kang, "Go and summon the Imperial Physician Liu Jian, and have him go to Luanyin Palace immediately to give Consort Zhao a proper diagnosis and treatment."

"Yes." Wen Kang understood and nodded in agreement.

******

Inside the Luanyin Palace, crimson gauze curtains hung low, filled with a sweet, warm fragrance. Consort Zhao wore a soft satin feather dress in rouge color, her black hair loosely draped over her shoulders and pillow, as she leaned against the couch.

Her delicate face showed a hint of paleness, her brows were slightly furrowed, and her eyes were full of pitiful fragility.

Upon hearing the palace servant announce, "His Majesty has arrived," a fleeting hint of tension flashed in her eyes, quickly replaced by a deeper sorrow.

Chu Huaili stepped into the inner hall but did not approach. Instead, he stood with his hands behind his back a short distance from the bed, looking down at her with a calm and unwavering gaze that showed no concern whatsoever: "What's wrong, Consort?"

Consort Zhao struggled to rise and pay her respects, but seemed powerless as she fell back onto the soft pillow. Her voice was weak and trembling: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I suddenly felt flustered and short of breath, and my body felt weak. Perhaps it is because of the fear and anxiety I have been experiencing these past few days, which has caused me to fall ill. Now that Your Majesty has returned safely, I feel relieved, but instead... I feel somewhat uneasy. I miss Your Majesty so much that I cannot suppress my longing..."

"In that case, we should treat him even more carefully." Chu Huaili's tone was calm, revealing no emotion. "I have already issued the imperial physician's decree, and he should be arriving soon."

Zhao Jieyu's expression stiffened almost imperceptibly, and she forced a smile, saying, "How could I trouble the Imperial Physician... I am just feeling unwell and will be fine after a short rest."

A trusted palace maid beside her immediately knelt down and defended her mistress: "Your Majesty, please understand. During the days when Prince Ke usurped the throne, Your Highness was imprisoned in a dark and gloomy private jail, praying for Your Majesty day and night. The worry and fear damaged your health, which is why you fell ill..."

Before the words were finished, an announcement came from outside the hall: "Imperial Physician Liu Jian is here to see you by imperial decree—"

Liu Jian strode in carrying his medicine box. Just as he was about to bow, Chu Huaili raised his hand to excuse him and looked at Zhao Jieyu: "Imperial Physician Liu, Jieyu is not feeling well. You must carefully examine her pulse and not overlook anything."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Liu Jian bowed his head.

Zhao Jieyu's fingertips were icy cold. Under Chu Huaili's calm yet oppressive gaze, she could only slowly extend her fair wrist, adorned with a translucent jade bracelet that further accentuated her snow-white skin. A palace maid quickly covered it with a thin silk handkerchief.

Liu Jian focused intently on taking her pulse. After a moment, his brow twitched slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, before he examined her more closely. Time passed slowly, and the hall grew so quiet that only the breathing of a few people could be heard. Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on Zhao Jieyu's forehead.

Finally, Liu Jian withdrew his hand, took two steps back, knelt down, and said in a voice filled with deliberately suppressed excitement: "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Consort Jieyu... this is a pregnancy pulse! Judging from the pulse, she is almost two months pregnant. Although the fetal breathing is slightly fluctuating, it is generally stable!"

These words made Chu Huaili's gaze fix on her.

Consort Zhao abruptly turned to look at Chu Huaili, her face drained of color, her lips trembling, and her eyes instantly filled with panicked tears: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."

Chu Huaili raised his hand, stopping Liu Jian from continuing, and also dismissed the other palace servants in the hall, leaving only Wen Kang standing aside.

The inner hall suddenly felt empty, and the sweet, warm fragrance seemed to become heavy.

Chu Huaili then slowly walked to the bedside, looking down at the trembling Zhao Jieyu. His tone remained calm, yet every word was like an ice pick: "Since you entered the palace and were conferred the title of Jieyu, I have never summoned you to serve me in bed." He leaned slightly forward, his gaze piercing, "Tell me, where did this child come from?"

"Someone has framed me!" Consort Zhao cried out as if grasping at a straw, tears streaming down her face, her almond-shaped eyes filled with grievance and fear. "It must be someone in the harem who is jealous of me and has bribed the imperial physician... Your Majesty, please summon Physician Qian. Physician Qian has always taken my pulse; he knows my health best..."

"The harem?" Chu Huaili almost sneered. "Now, besides the Empress Dowager who is bedridden, there are only you and Consort Ying in the harem. Are you implying that Yun Rao framed you?"

Zhao Jieyu was speechless, her eyes darting around in a panic.

Eunuch Wen Kang bowed and presented a beautifully crafted curved sword with a rhinoceros horn scabbard and inlaid with gemstones to Consort Zhao with both hands. The sword was unique in design, and the decoration on the hilt had a distinct Northern Di style, indicating that it was a common accessory for Northern Di noblemen.

Chu Huaili's voice rang out above her head, devoid of any warmth: "Then tell me again, why is there a personal sword belonging to Geshu Lin, the Khan of the Northern Barbarians, hidden in your palace?"

Zhao Jieyu was struck dumb, her whole body trembling violently. She stared at the curved blade as if she had seen a poisonous snake.

"It's...it's because the palace servants are dishonest, and I failed to discipline them properly..." Her voice was weak, and she couldn't even convince herself.

"Are you still going to make excuses?" Chu Huaili straightened up, no longer looking at her pale face. "The letter from the Northern Di states specifically names you as one of the conditions for the marriage alliance. If you and Geshu Lin are truly in love, I am not unwilling to grant your wish."

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone chilling, "But if you insist on falsely accusing others, I will have no choice but to investigate thoroughly. At that time, you will be punished for multiple crimes: corrupting the palace, deceiving the emperor, and colluding with foreign powers. What will your fate be? Even with the Empress Dowager's support, what will become of your entire Zhao family? Think it through."

The last four words carry immense weight.

Zhao Jieyu's long, disheveled hair cascaded over her shoulders, making her face appear even more pale. She stared blankly at the tall, aloof figure of the young emperor before her. His deep eyes held no anger, only a cold, all-knowing clarity.

After a long while, the intense struggle and fear in her eyes slowly receded like the tide, leaving only an empty, lifeless silence. She raised her hand and slowly wiped away the tears on her face with the cuff of her nightgown, her movements stiff yet unusually calm.

“Your Majesty…you knew from the beginning, didn’t you?” Her voice was hoarse, not a question, but a statement.

Chu Huaili did not answer, but simply looked at her quietly.

Consort Zhao suddenly chuckled softly, her laughter desolate: "No wonder...no wonder even though Prince Ke temporarily occupied the capital, so many officials still followed His Majesty wholeheartedly, preferring death to surrender." She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her expression was resolute: "Your Majesty...I choose to marry a foreign ruler."

“Very good.” Chu Huaili nodded. “I will order the imperial physicians to take good care of you and the baby in your womb. If you do not wish to marry far away with the title of my concubine, I can also arrange a new identity for you.”

"Thank you, Your Majesty... for granting my request," Consort Zhao said blankly.

Chu Huaili turned to leave.

"Your Majesty," Consort Zhao suddenly spoke from behind him, her voice low and melancholic, "You may be able to use your scheme to send me away today, but the officials in the court will not allow the harem to remain vacant for long, especially... with only one concubine of mixed backgrounds. Today it is me, but tomorrow, a new 'Consort Wang' or 'Consort Li' will be sent in. Can you... hide for a while, or can you hide forever?"

Chu Huaili paused slightly, but did not turn around, leaving only a cold sentence:

"These things are none of your concern, Consort."

He strode out of the Luanyin Palace, the unobstructed summer sun casting a dazzling yet cold sheen around his bright yellow robes. Wen Kang followed silently behind, hearing the emperor's emotionless whispers from ahead:

"Consort Ying, of the Ye clan, whose given name is Yixiang, has served me since I was a prince. We were married in our childhood, and it has been more than six years since then." His tone was calm, yet it contained a deep and profound strength. "During this time, we have experienced turmoil and several life-and-death calamities, and she has always stood by me. When I was in disgrace, she never abandoned me; when I was in distress, she entrusted her life to me. Heaven and earth can bear witness to her heart and her will, and time will be her testament."

He paused briefly, then his voice suddenly deepened, carrying an unquestionable imperial authority and a hint of long-suppressed emotion:

"The position of Empress has been vacant for a long time, not because there is no one else, but because it is indispensable. Now, in the name of the ruler of the world, I hereby announce to the ancestral temple and to all the world that I hereby confer upon Ye Yixiang as my Empress. The phoenix seal and golden book shall be prepared immediately. Anyone who has any objections may come before me to present their case."